Tainted
by Hylia
Summary: An encounter with a demon previously unknown to Hyrule forever changes Link's life. Dark portrayal of Link.


As the dying sun cast its sunset glow over the land of Hyrule, a mother rabbit and her offspring slept peacefully underneath a dry bush, unaware of the quiet footsteps that came closer and closer to their resting spot.

A twig cracked. Although the mother was quick to react to the sound by jumping in front of her young, she never knew what ended her life as a dagger was thrown with such precision that the point pierced right through her beating heart.

The bunny slept on, and did not discover its mother's absence until later in the night.

Link hated hunting, he decided as wisps of smoke rose up into the night sky from the roasting rabbit that had been set into a spear above a low flame. But what was he to do? His rations had run low, and the shops were all closed for the night.

As the moon rose higher and the stars came out of hiding, Link's eyes were shut as he lay down on the grass underneath a tree, breathing quietly and steadily.

The leaves rustled. Blue eyes shot open, and hands that were, a moment before, behind his head, were on his sword and shield.

It could not be the wind; the air was still today, almost frozen in time. Link stepped out from underneath the leafy branches of the tree and looked forward into the darkness.

A fatal mistake. What had previously caused the rustling jumped down from its hiding spot atop the tree onto the earth behind him. Link spun around instantaneously and met two shining rubies leering at him in the dark.

The Hylian gasped, and fell back. The monster, almost invisible in the night, bared its yellowish teeth. Link saw the fangs and knew they must have been sharper than any butcher's knife.

"The hunter becomes the hunted, and the circle of life goes ever on," the creature declared with amusement. "Or is it the circle of death?"

"Who…what?" Link uttered, with a trace of panic in his thumping heart.

The monster sneered. "What I am I daresay thou shall soon discover. As to who I am, I believe I shall go down in history and be known to the following generations as the one who drained the Hero of his pure blood."

Link gasped, and as the demon pounced upon him rolled sideways and was already on his feet as the monster lunged a second time. He raised his sword.

"Ah," the demon examined. "The legendary blade. By the time I am finished, thou will never be able to wield it again."

"Away with you, monster! Taint not the land of Hyrule with your foul steps!"

He lunged upon the demon, sword ready to take its head off, never expecting that its reflexes were far superior to that of the Hero's. Link's wrists were snatched and twisted with an iron grip as his sword and shield fell to the ground. Though he struggled vainly and kicked with his might, the creature did not let go.

"Goodnight, Hero. Wake to a new dawn!"

And as the moon rose to its highest peak in the heavens above, Link finally discovered what had closed the distance between them and sunk its razor fangs into his neck, draining him of his life's blood and energy. His eyes, once a never-ending blue, lost its sparkle as death's hands claimed his soul.

The Hero of Time fell limp in the demon's arms.

Ganondorf's fingers crawled over the organ's many keys like a many-legged spider, each key emitting a different mournful note. Although Hyrule and the Triforce of Power belonged to him, there was nothing more treasured, more priceless to him than his music.

Of course, the look of pure terror on Zelda's face as she remained trapped in the crystal above him did come rather close.

The Great King played on; never realizing that someone…or something crept ever closer up behind him. When they were a mere breath apart, Ganondorf froze.

Before he could turn around and face the intruder, he felt hands running across his shoulder, and warm air breathing down his neck. He heard his name being whispered.

It was Link! The impudent little boy had snuck up on him! How was this possible? But he could not move. The Hero's breath had frozen him. Looking up, he saw Zelda, with her hands to her mouth.

"What on earth are you doi-"

Ganondorf cut himself short as a howl of outrage mixed with terror and pain left his lips. The Hero's teeth were piercing into his neck!

But they were unlike the average teeth of a Hylian. They were fangs, and they were sharper than any of the knives and swords that he'd kept on display in his weapons chamber. This, of course, he did not have time to ponder on, as he knew that his blood was being drained…drained, along with his consciousness. 

The last thing he saw before his eyes glazed over were the sickening blue eyes of the man who had taken his blood.

Link smirked. The Princess of Hyrule's usually pale cheeks were flushed red as her lips moved closer and further apart in rapid successions. Link wasn't listening to a word she uttered.

After he had thrown Ganondorf's body aside, the crystal imprisonment shattered along with Ganondorf's consciousness. He caught Zelda in his arms and together they fled from the castle. Once they were out, and before Zelda could ask him anything he vanished into the night, leaving her alone in the middle of the market town, surrounded by ReDeads.

She caught up to him, furious with all her might, and thanking the goddesses for her magic power, a fortnight later. 

"…he is demanding at least one maiden from the villages every day! The townsfolk are terrified; they have no idea as to what's happening, no idea that he is more powerful than ever! _Answer_ me, Link! What have you done to him?"

Link was busy removing the grit from underneath his fingernails. He paused, and, curving his lips into what he intended to be an innocent smile, but could never quite achieve it, replied at last, "I bit him."

"Well, yes, I know _that,_ but what on earth was in that bite that turned him into a…a…" She was lost for the word she was looking for, for never had she laid eyes on or even heard of the creature in question.

"A Vampire," Link said helpfully.

Zelda's eyes blinked multiple times. "What?"

"He's a Vampire now," Link repeated. "Courtesy of me." At the stupefied expression on the Princess' face, he explained. "A demon of the night who feasts on others' blood."

"And how did he…did you…" Zelda's bosom rose and fell very fast.

"Because I am one, too," Link said simply.

Zelda stopped breathing for a moment. "Oh, Link…Oh, _Link_…I…I don't know what to…" she exclaimed as tears welled up in her violet eyes.

He looked away from her. Fists clenched, eyes livid with fury, he spoke to the ground. "I flee from the sun every day, like a thief in the night. Every beast or animal that walks the land shuns me like I have been tainted with evil's blood…well, my blood is tainted, you see…" He extended his left hand towards her. She saw, with trembling lips, that scorch marks bit into his sweaty palm. "…For I can no longer wield the Master Sword."

Zelda's sobs shook her. She fell to the ground and clawed at the dead grass that she had stood on. "Then Hyrule…our land…"

"Cannot be saved," Link growled. "I am sorry."

But the truth was, he wasn't sorry at all. He no longer cared for the fate of the land. His mind no longer governed his actions and emotions; he relied solely on his body, which was ever thirsting…thirsting for the crimson liquid that made him feel almost…alive…

"_No!_" she screeched, tears flowing like a river down her cheeks. "We have waited too long…Seven years of agony is too much for us to simply wave aside! Forgive me, Link, but I must…"

She lifted her palm and waved her fingers inwards. Link turned around and saw that the Master Sword had been lifted from the scabbard on his back and was now flying towards Zelda. She caught it with both hands and, standing up, she looked him defiantly in the eyes.

"Kill me, Princess? But you cannot." Smirking, he stepped aside as she howled in reply and jumped at him, sword thrust in front of her. "I am too skilled a swordsman to be defeated by a beginner."

With instant reflexes he pulled a dagger from the inside of his boot. Holding it between his third and fourth fingers, he held it threateningly in front of Zelda. "I do hope you'll forgive me, my sweet."

Never having the time to disappear out of view, Zelda let out a cry as the dagger lodged itself firmly into her heart as Link had thrown it with deadly accuracy. As the Princess' breath came short and her eyes had lost its light, she looked the image of a butterfly pinned to a tree by a sharp knife, a creature so fragile and innocent, whose wings had finally stopped fluttering as her heart failed.

Link's eyes stared at themselves in the mirror. Until now, he had never noticed how wretched a shade they had become. Once a reflection of the deep blue sea, two pools of water that held so many secrets and treasures like the ocean; they were now the shade of someone who had been strangled to death…a morbid pool of disgusting slime that contained the vilest of creatures.

His eyes left the mirror to stare at the blood-covered dagger in his hand. For the first time since the night he had been bitten, he felt a sense of deepest terror and shame, mingled with pity and desperation. 

He felt sick. He had murdered Zelda, Princess of Hyrule – once held so deeply to his heart, so sweet and innocently beautiful. He had loved her. With all his once-innocent heart, he was truly, maddeningly in love with her.

It was a different heart that permitted him to slay the poor creature, the woman who had hoped so much for the future of their miserable land.

Trembling, he tore his eyes off the beastly weapon. 

"Now, Zelda…our hearts join as one."

Eyes shut, heart pounding madly, he took his last deep breath as he thrust the dagger into his heart.

He screamed with anguish as twisted the weapon further and further inside him, until he pulled it out and dropped it with trembling hands.

Gasping for air, but it would not come. Howling with pain, but it was no use. He looked down to the blood that flowed down his hand as he put his palm to his heart. Shaking, tears raining down upon his cheeks, he felt the last shred of his consciousness abandoning him as darkness took him at last…

He wished to the Din, Nayru and Farore to see Zelda again, but in his heart he knew that they were going to separate dimensions.


End file.
